Air force-pump



2 sheetssheet 1,

(No Model.)l

W E.- KAR-NS. AIR FORGE PUMP.

,117. lPatented M1112, 1897.

Ma minimum (No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2.

w. E, KARNS. AIR FORGE PUMP.

No. 575,1N. Pate-med Jan. 12, 1897.

Y mm

UNITED STATES- PATENT (DFFICE.

IVILLIAM E. KARNS, OF PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR FORCE-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,117', dated January12, 1.897.

Application filed May 15, 1896. Serial No. 591,690. (No model.)

To alt whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. KARNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Parkers Landing, in the county of Armstrong and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Air Force-Pump, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to pumps of that class in which liquid is elevatedby the direct pressure of'air thereon without intervention of plungersor operating mechanism; and the object in View is to provide such anarrange- Inent of parts as to insure the proper application of a heavyfluid-pressure to elevate liquid from any desired depth Without the riskof the pressure` iiuid blowing through the liquid; and, furthermore, toprovide valve mechanism and operating devices for automaticallycontrolling the application of fluidpressure to allow intervals of anydesired length to give time for the refilling by gravity of the pumpbarrel or cylinder, the periods of application of pressure beingregulated to agree with the rapidity of iiow of the liquid to beelevated.

Further Objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View of a pump mechanism constructed inaccordance with myinvention, the pump cylinder or barrel, the lift-pipe,and contiguous parts being shown in section, the valve mechanism beingshown in the position assumed thereby while the pump is in operation orduring the application of pressure to the contents of the pumpbarrel.Fig. 2 is a detail view o f the valveoperating mechanism, showing thepositions of the parts when the pump is at rest or during the intervalallowed between strokes for the refilling of the pump-barrel by gravity,

. the parts having just reached the positions necessary to close theair-pressure valve. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the means forcontrolling the cylinder inlet-valve. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional viewof the fluid-pressurecontrolling valve in the position which it occupiesin Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the cylinder inlet-valve in theposition occupied in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view of theoperating-arm of the cylinder inlet-valve.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theigu res of the drawings.

l designates a pump barrel or cylinder,

- which is adapted to be of any desired capacity to suit the rapidity offlow of the well, the same having at its outer end an inlet-port 2,controlled by a gravity check-valve 3, which is inwardly opening toallow the entrance of liquid into the barrel. Preferably arranged withtheir open lower extremities contiguous to the lower end of the barrelare lift-tubes 4, having valved connection with a chamber 5 at the upperend of the barrel and cut off from direct communication with the latterby means of a partition G. Said lift-tubes are tted in suitable openingsin the partition, and in the construction illustrated are provided withupwardly or inwardly opening check-valves4 7.

In communication with the chamber 5 is a lift-pipe 8, and preferablyextending axially through the lift-pipe is a fluid-pressure pipe 9. Thefluid-pressure pipe communicates directly with the pump-barrel, wherebywhen the latter has been filled with liquid the pressure is applieddirectly to the upper surface thereof to force the liquid upwardlythrough the lift-tubes 4 and into the receiving-chamber 5, from which itpasses upwardly through the lift-pipe 8 to the discharge-pipe 10.

After the application of pressure during an interval sufficient toexhaust the pump-barrel by forcing the liquid through the lift-pipe itis necessary to cut olf the supply of pressure fluid and allow the sameto escape freely from the pump-barrel through the fluid-pressure pipe,and thus permit the inflow of liquid into the pump-barrel, and the meanswhich I employ for controlling the application and reduction of pressurein the barrel includes a fluid-pressure valve 1l of three-wayconstruction, which is introduced at an intermediate point of thefluid-pressure pipe and is in communication With an exhaust-pipe 12, asshown clearly in Fig. 4. In Fig. 1 the crank-arm 13 of the valve isshown in its elevated position, whereby the valve is disposed to opencommunication through the fluid-pressure pipe,

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. lever.

and thus apply pressure to the surface of the liquid in the pump-barrel,while in Fig. 2 a reversed position of said parts is shown, wherein thearm 13 is depressed to cut oil communication through the Huid-pressurepipe and open communication between the same and the exhaust-pipe l2 toallow air to escape from the pump-barrel during the inilux of liquid.The supply-pipe 14 is adapted to be connected with a condenser orHuidpressure-supply apparatus of any desired construction. (Not shown.)

The means which I haveillustrated in the drawings for accomplishing theautomatic operation of the iluid-pressure-controlling valve 11 includesan operating-lever or walkingbeam 15, arranged to cooperate with spacedtappets 16 and 17, arranged upon the valverod 18, the engagement of saidoperatingle ver or walkin g-beam with the tappets at the ends of itsswing being sufiicient to reverse the position of the valve at intervalscorresponding with the period of vibration of the The period ofvibration of the lever is controlled by a cylinder 1S), in whichoperates a piston 20, having its rod 2l connected to the other arm ofthe lever or walkingbeam to move said lever in one direction, and areturn device, such as a weight 22, to move the lever in the oppositedirection and at the same time depress the piston in the cylinder 19.The weight 22 is adjustably mounted upon the long arm of the lever orwalking-beam to provide for varying the rapidity of depression of saidlong arm of the lever, and hence vary the length of the interval duringwhich the fiuid-pressure-controlling valve is closed to allow therefilling of the pump-barrel. This interval is regulated to suit therapidity of liow ot' the well. In addition to the adjustment of theweight to control the period of rest of the pump mechanism, I employ anadjustable exhaust valve or cock of any desired construction to controlthe rapidity ot exhaust from the cylinder during the downstrokc of thepiston.

The means which I employ for elevating the piston in the cylinder 19 andthus closing the liuid-pressure-controlling valve are actuated by theiluid-linessure employed for elevating the liquid, and for this purposea cylinder feed-pipe 24 extends from the Huid-pressuresupply pipe to thecylinder below the piston and is provided atan intermediate point with acylinder-inlet-controlling valve 25, having an arm 2o', to which isconnected a stem 27, having upper and lower tappets 2S and 29, betweenwhich operates the long arm of the lever or walking-beam 15. \Vheu thestem 27 is at the limit of its upward movement, to which it has beenelevated by the upward movement of the piston 20, thecylinder-inletcontrolling valve 25 has opened communication between thecylinder and the exhaust 30, in which is arranged the exhaust-controlling cock 23, this position of the parts being illustrated in Figs. 2 and5, and as the pressure is thereby relieved at the under side of thepiston the latter is allowed to be depressed by the return device, whichin the construction illustrated consists of the weight 22. rlhe arm 2Gis arranged in operative relation with locking devices to maintain it insaid elevated position, with the valve open to the exhaust, said lockingdevices in the construction illustratcd consisting of a spring-actuatedlocking arm or latch 31 for engaging a shoulder or offset on the arm 2G,and the parts retain these positions until the piston has reached thelimit of its downward movelnent. In order that the reversal of thecylinderinlet-controlling valve may be accomplished quickly, I employtrip mechanism consisting of a trip-lever 33, having a cam-face 34arranged in operative relation with the locking arm or latch 3l, and apitman or connectingrod 35 between said trip-arm and the long arm of theoperating-lever or walking-beam. The

connection between the rod 35 and the walking-beam is preferablyadjustable, as shown at 36, whereby the tripping of the latch may beaccomplished at the desired point in the movement of the walking-beam. A

In order to provide for the removal of the Huid-pressure-supply pipewithout affecting the tubing, I provide a reduced threaded extension 88at the lower end of the su pply-pipe to fit in the opening in thepartition (5, and also provide said pipe with a contiguousground-surface 3f), of conical shape, for iittin g in a similar seat insaid partition. Under ordinary circumstances this connection issuflicient to prevent leakage, but as an additional safeguard I mayemploy a packing device including a movable pressure or packing platea0, arranged below the plane of the partition or head o upon guide-pins4:1 and around an extension 42 of the supply-pipe below the plane ofsaid partition or head, packing 43 being interposed between the upperside of said packing-plate and the under surface of the partition orhead, whereby when fluidpressure is applied to the interiorof thepumpbarrel said plate is forced upwardly to compress the packingmaterial. In order to provide for threading the lower extremity into andout of the opeuin g or seat in the partition or head, the couplingsbetween contiguous sections of said pipe are fitted with jam-nuts let tobear against the extremities of the coupling-sleeve 45.

rlhis being the construction of the apparatus, it will be seen that theoperation, briefly stated, is as follows: \Vith the parts in thepositions indicated in Fig. 1, in which the IIOIluid-pressure-controlling valve is open to the tact of theoperating-lever or walking-beam with the tappets 17 and 28, thus.closing the controlling-valves to the supply and opening them to theexhaust, the cylinder-inlet-controlling valve being locked in thisposition by means of the latch 31 to prevent premature movement. Thisarrangement of parts is illustrated in Figs. 2, 4L, and 5. Thepumpbarrel will now be iilled with liquid by gravity, the inflow ofliquid forcing the air out through the air-supply pipe 9 and the exhaustl2. During this period of rest of the pump mechanism the piston 20isdescending by gravity or equivalent force, controlled by the amount ofdischarge permitted through the exhaust-controlling cock 23 and theposition of the Weight 22, and when said piston has reached the limit ofits downward movement the trip mechanism disengages the latch 3l fromthe cylinder -inlet -controlling -valve mechanism and allows the partsto resume the positions shown in Fig. l.

Inasmuch as less pressure is necessary for operating the cylinder-piston2O than is required for the elevation of the liquid, I preferablyintroduce a pressu re-reducer 46 of ordinary construction at anintermediate point of the feed-pipe.

Where a series of wells are arranged for operation from a given supplyof fluid-pressure and where the operation of the pumps in connectionwith the several Wells is intermittent owing to the slowness of tlowthereinto, the valve mechanism may be dispensed with, in order that thecontrolling-valve may be adj usted manually at intervals. In otherwords, where the interval required for filling the pump-barrel isexcessive owing to the slowness of low it is desirable to dispense withthe valve mechanism and manipulate the valves as required by hand.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Fluid-pressurepumping apparatus having a pump-barrel provided at its lower end with avalved inlet-port and provided near its upper end with a transversepartition forming a superjacent receiving-chamber, valved lift-tubessupported by said partition in communication at their upper ends withthe receiving-chamber and at their lower ends with the pump-barrelcontiguous to its inlet-port, a lift-pipe communicating with thereceivingchamber, a luid-pressure-supply pipe removably seated upon thesaid partition in communication with the pump-barrel and adapted to beunseated to allow the withdrawal of the supply-pipe without disturbingthe welltubing or pump-barrel, said supply-pipe having a conical groundsurface to tit a corresponding surface on the partition, and valvemechanism for controlling the application of with a valved inlet-portand at its upper end with a transverse partition or head forming asuperjacent receiving-chamber,valved lifttubes arranged within thepump-barrel and connecting the interior of the body portion thereof withthe receiving-chamber, a liftpipe in communication with thereceivingchamber, and a fluid-pressure-supply pipe extending axiallythrough the lift-pipe and removably fitted in a seat in said partitionto communicate with the interior of the pumpbarrel,said supply-pi pebein g removable from and replaceable in the well without disturbing thelift-pipe or pum p-barrel, substantially as specied.

3. Fluid-pressure pumping apparatus having a pump-barrel, lift-pipe, andair-supply pipe through which pressure is adapted to be applied atintervals, and valve mechanism for controlling the application ofpressure, said valve mechanism including an air-pressure-controllingvalve adapted to open communication with the air supply and exhaustalternately, an operating-lever or walkingbeam arranged in operativerelationvwith tappets carried by a stem of the huid-pressurecontrollingvalve, and means controlled by fluid-pressure for oscillating said leveror walking-beam, said means including other valve mechanism connected tothe walkingbeam, substantially1 as specified.

4. Fluid-pressure pumping apparatus hav ing a pump-barrel, lift-pipe,and air-supply pipe through which pressure is adapted to be applied atintervals, and valve mechanism for controlling the application ofpressure, said valve mechanism including a fluid-pressure-controllingvalve, an operating-lever or walking-beam arranged in operative relationwith tappets carried by the stem of said valve, a cylinder incommunication with a feed-pipe connected with the fluid pressure supplypipe, a piston operating in the cylinder and connected with theoperating-lever or walking-beam, means for depressing the piston, andcylinder valve mechanism operatively connected with the walking-beam andincluding a valve controlling the cylinder inlet and exhaust,substantially as specified.

5. Fluid-pressure pumping apparatus having a pump-barrel and alift-pipe, huid-pressure-supply pipe, a huid-pressure-controlling valveadapted to connect the pump-barrel with an exhaust, an operating-leverconnected with the controlling-valve, a cylinder having a feed-pipe incommunication with the uidpressure supply, a piston connected with theoperating-lever, means for returning the piston to its initial position,and cylinder valve mechanism including a controlling-valve arranged inthe feed-pipe and adapted to connect the cylinder with an exhaust, avalvestem having tappets arranged in the path of IOO IOS

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the operating-lever, locking mechanism for securing said valve in oneposition, and trip mechanism controlled bythe operating-lever forreleasing a valve, substantially as speciiied.

(5. Fluid-pressure pumping apparatus having a pump-barrel and alift-pipe, huid-pressure-supply pipe, a fluid-pressure-controlling valveadapted to connect the pump-barrel with an exhaust, an operating-leverconnected with the controlling-Valve, a cylinder having a feed-pipe incommunication with the Huidpressure supply, a piston connected with theoperating-lever, means for returning the piston to its initial position,and cylinder valve mechanism including a controlling-valve arranged inthe feed-pipe and adapted to connect the cylinder with an exhaust, avalvestem having tappets arranged in the path of the operating-lever,locking mechanism for securing said valve in one position, and tripmechanism controlled by the operating-lever for releasing the valve,said trip mechanism including a cam-lever arranged in operative relationwith the locking devices, a connecting-rod between the trip-lever andthe operating-lever, and adjustable means for attaching the rod to saidlever, substantially as specilied.

7. Fluid-pressure pumping apparatus having a pump-barrel and alift-pipe, fluid-pressure-supply pipe, aIiuid-preassure-controllingvalve adapted to connect the pump-barrel with an exhaust, anoperating-lever connected with the controlling-valve, a cylinder havinga feed-pipe in communication with the fluidpressure supply, a pistonconnected with the operating-lever, means for returning the piston toits initial position, and cylinder Valvc mechanism including acontrolling-valve arranged in the feed-pipe and adapted to connect thecylinder with an exhaust, a valvestem having tappets arranged in thepath of the operating-lever, locking mechanism for securing said valvein said position and consisting of a spring-latch for engaging ashoulder on the valve, and trip mechanism including a cam-lever arrangedin operative relation with the latch and operatively con nccted with thelever, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

lV. E. KARNS.

Witnesses:

E. G. SIGGERS, J. H. SIGGERs.

